Remembering Tony Hsieh
I just learned that Tony Hsieh passed away on Friday, at the young age of 46. Tony was CEO of Zappos for 21 years, before retiring earlier this year. Prior to joining Zappos, he co-founded a company called LinkExchange, which he sold to Microsoft in 1998 for $265 million.
I got to meet and get to know Tony in 2018, when I attended Zappos Insights Culture Camp at their headquarters in Las Vegas. I had read his book, “Delivering Happiness,” and was very excited to meet Tony, and to learn more about the amazing culture I had heard and read so much about.
During this three-day experience, I was able to go “behind the scenes” at Zappos – meeting employees in various departments, sitting with Customer Loyalty Team (CLT) agents as they answered customer service calls, and learning first-hand about the dynamic corporate culture that has made Zappos so successful.
Tony Hsieh was an incredible visionary. The success he created at Zappos was amazing, and the way he did it was unique. I’ve visited other great companies, but I will always remember Tony for his commitment to culture, employee engagement, and delivering happiness.
